Picture this: you’re staring at Google Maps on your laptop, watching that familiar blue route snake across the screen. “4 hours 32 minutes,” it says confidently. Perfect—leave at 9am, arrive by 2pm with time to spare. You plug the times into your spreadsheet with the satisfaction of someone who’s got it all figured out.
Except there’s a problem. That masterpiece of optimistic planning is about to transform your dream van life adventure into an exhausting disaster—and I learned this the hard way during what should have been an epic trip to Oktoberfest.
For the UK’s van life community, Morocco has emerged as the new promised land—a sun-drenched, budget-friendly alternative to Europe’s increasingly regulated and expensive roads. What began as a trickle of adventurous overlanders has turned into a full-blown migration, with YouTube feeds filled with desert sunsets and Atlantic surf breaks. But what’s driving this exodus to North Africa? Our investigation reveals the magnetic pull of Morocco’s landscapes, culture, and van-friendly infrastructure that’s making it the ultimate destination for mobile living.
THE ALLURE OF YEAR-ROUND SUNSHINE AND STUNNING LANDSCAPES
Unlike the UK’s unpredictable weather that turns van life into a test of endurance for much of the year, Morocco offers van lifers near-guaranteed sunshine and dramatically varied landscapes within relatively short driving distances. From the snow-capped Atlas Mountains to the golden dunes of the Sahara and the crashing Atlantic surf, the country packs tremendous geographic diversity into a compact area.
Digital nomads and content creators particularly appreciate this variety, as it provides endless visually stunning backdrops for their videos and social media posts. The “van valley” near Tafraoute with its surreal blue rocks has become particularly iconic, offering perfect wild camping spots where “no one comes around begging or trying to sell you things” and where campfires are permitted. Similarly, the long right-hand point break at Imsouane has become a mecca for surf-loving van dwellers, with free street parking available at the top of town.
THE ECONOMICS OF MOROCCAN VAN LIFE
For UK van lifers accustomed to battling parking restrictions and stealth camping, Morocco offers refreshing affordability. While wild camping has become more regulated in recent years with new laws from the King restricting RV parking in coastal areas, costs remain remarkably low compared to European campsites. Designated parking spots with guardians typically charge 10–30 dirhams per night (about £0.80–£2.40), rising to 50 dirhams (£4) in more touristy areas. Even formal campsites rarely exceed 90 dirhams (£7.20) per night.
Fuel costs are another major draw, with diesel priced around 10 – 12 dirhams per litre (approximately £0.88). Combined with Morocco’s compact size, this makes exploring the country remarkably affordable for those used to UK fuel prices. The low cost of living extends to food markets, where fresh produce, dates, and local bread can be purchased for pennies.
Morocco Vanlife Hack “Need propane? Look for ‘Gaz’ signs in villages—3kg bottles cost £4.80 and are swapped, not refilled. Tip: Always carry a wrench to loosen the connector (Moroccan bottles thread opposite to European ones!).
THE VAN LIFE INFRASTRUCTURE BOOM
Morocco has quietly developed infrastructure that makes van life surprisingly comfortable:
Hammams: These traditional bathhouses solve the hygiene challenge of van living, offering showers and washing facilities for just 10–12 dirhams (£0.80–£1). Unlike in the UK where van lifers often rely on gym memberships or truck stops, Morocco’s ubiquitous hammams provide affordable, culturally immersive washing solutions.Morocco Pro Tip: Need a shower? Skip expensive campsites. Local hammams (public bathhouses) cost £1 and include a scrub-down by a no-nonsense attendant. Just bring flip-flops and your own soap.
Gas Availability: Propane bottles for van kitchens are widely available even in small villages, with a 3kg bottle costing just 60 dirhams (£4.80). This solves a major pain point for van cooks.
Parking Guardians: While initially confusing to Europeans, Morocco’s system of parking guardians (men in yellow vests) actually provides security for overnight parking spots, with prices typically under 30 dirhams (£2.40). Many van lifers report feeling safer in these guarded spots than in anonymous European car parks.
Digital Tools: Apps like Park4Night have expanded their Morocco coverage significantly, helping van lifers find vetted overnight spots. This digital infrastructure makes navigating the country much easier than even five years ago.
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THE CONTENT CREATOR’S PARADISE
For YouTubers and Instagrammers, Morocco offers irresistible content opportunities:
Visual Drama: From the blue-painted streets of Chefchaouen to the ochre hues of the desert, Morocco provides instantly recognisable backdrops that perform well on visual platforms.
Cultural Richness: Daily life in Morocco—from mint tea rituals to bustling souks—offers endless storytelling potential compared to more homogenised European settings.
Adventure Narrative: Crossing from Europe to Africa by ferry, navigating chaotic Moroccan roads, and wild camping in the desert all make for compelling video arcs that resonate with audiences.
Many creators have found that Moroccan content performs exceptionally well, with viewers drawn to the exoticism and adventure. The country has become such a hotspot that some YouTubers like Mr & Mrs Adventure are even creating entire books about their Moroccan van life experiences.
THE CULTURAL MOMENT: WHY NOW?
Morocco isn’t just a destination—it’s a counter-movement. After years of Europe’s creeping parking restrictions and campground overcrowding, the short ferry hop from Algeciras to Tangier (from just €35) has become a symbolic escape hatch. For van lifers, that 90-minute crossing marks more than a border: it’s a return to the rawness that drew them to the road in the first place.
THREE FORCES COLLIDING:
Post-Pandemic Rebellion The lockdown generation is trading UK drizzle for Morocco’s sun-bleached freedom—where you can park beside a 12th-century kasbah one night and a Sahara dune the next, no booking required.
Europe’s Van Life Burnout With Spain enforcing overnight parking bans and France’s aires overflowing, Morocco’s guardian-protected wild spots (10–30 MAD/night) feel liberatingly simple.
The Algorithm Loves Adventure YouTube’s hunger for “epic content” has turned the Algeciras–Tangier ferry into a rite of passage—the moment a “UK Van Tour” becomes a North African Expedition.
The shift is also emotional. For many, it’s a return to what van life used to feel like before apps, crowding, and regulations dulled the sense of exploration. In Morocco, there are still places where you can truly go off-grid, be welcomed with a smile, and feel the thrill of the unknown..
The irony? This migration is possible precisely because Morocco remains just inconvenient enough to deter casual travelers. The ferry isn’t easy—you’ll navigate chaotic ports, haggle with fixers, and surrender to Moroccan time—but that friction is the point. In an age of over-tourism, van lifers crave places where arrival still feels like an achievement.
The ferry docks in Tangier, and suddenly your van isn’t just a vehicle—it’s a passport to the Morocco guidebooks miss.”
THE SAFETY QUESTION: WHAT NO ONE TALKS ABOUT
Yes, Morocco is generally safe—but it’s not Spain. Petty theft happens (lock your van at markets), and women may face stares or harassment in rural areas. But van lifers report feeling safer in guarded park-ups than in some European cities. Pro tip: Travel in loose clothing, avoid isolated spots at night, and always carry small cash for “guardians” (they’ll watch your van like a hawk).
THE CHALLENGES: NOT ALWAYS A DESERT DREAM
While Morocco offers tremendous advantages, van lifers should be aware of significant challenges:
Wild Camping Restrictions: Recent laws have made true wild camping difficult, especially along the coast where signs now prohibit RV parking. Campsite owners have been known to pressure wild campers to move to paid sites.
Cultural Differences: Women may feel uncomfortable travelling alone, with reports of staring and gender-segregated public spaces. Conservative dress is advised outside tourist areas.
Driving Conditions: Moroccan roads present what one van lifer described as “absolute chaos in cities and craziness on country roads,” with unpredictable hazards from livestock to aggressive drivers.
Payment Systems: Cash remains king, with ATMs sometimes unreliable and card payments rarely accepted outside major supermarkets. Van lifers need to carry ample small bills for parking fees and markets.
THE VERDICT: WHY THE MIGRATION WILL CONTINUE
Despite these challenges, Morocco’s combination of affordability, beauty, and van-friendly infrastructure makes it likely to remain a top destination for UK van lifers and content creators. As more travellers share their positive experiences online—and as Morocco becomes increasingly familiar to the van life community—the migration shows no signs of slowing.
For those tired of the UK’s parking restrictions, cold weather, and high costs, Morocco offers an enticing alternative where van life can be lived more freely and affordably. As one traveller put it: “The further south you go, the friendlier the people, the more free parkups you’ll find, the warmer the weather and the cheaper the prices.” In an era of rising living costs and increased regulation of alternative lifestyles, Morocco’s open roads and welcoming culture may represent the last frontier of true van life freedom.
If you have dreams of the Moroccan road trip or have been there, I’d love to hear from you. Get in touch via twitter/x, instagram or drop a comment down below or if you want to go retro, email is an option.
Booked on a whim and in the midst of a great depression, I booked a last minute ticket to a van life event in Skegvegas. Ok so it was nearer to Boston but it turned out to be Lincolnshires Biggest Vanlife event. Here’s my video of what was like
Skegvegas Vanlife 2023
If you dont want to watch the video was ti any good. Hell yes. Despite having I would say a couple of thousand van’s there it still managed to retain a certain charm and atmosphere but that was no doubt helped but the good, if somewhat windy weather.
It’s definitely worth going to and indeed getting there early unlike me to really make the most out of the weekend as theres no staying overnight on a sunday. This is friday to sunday event.
Will I go again. For sure. Despite it not being a event I would say you would make friends at due to its size and the hipster nature of it, read the cliche of guys wearing baseball hats, short sleeve Teese and a long beard is becoming a touch cliche now, it’s well worth a visit if you are in the vicinity.
Other than me ripping on the hipster style of things the only bad thing I have to say about Skegvegas Vanlife is the fact it’s so far away from where I live.
It’s time to visit a new van life festival and this is a new one. The Vanlife and Overlander Celebration is a new event for 2023 based at the Newbury Showground. In this video I take you for a look around the event before it actually kicks off.
Owning a van opens up a world of possibilities for adventure and exploration. Here are five exciting activities you can enjoy with your new van.h
1. Embark on a Road Trip
A van is the perfect vehicle for a road trip. Its spacious interior can carry all your essentials, making long drives comfortable and enjoyable. Explore new cities, visit landmarks, and take in the scenic routes. The journey is just as important as the destination when you’re on a road trip.
Enjoying a scenic drive during a road trip.
2. Go Camping
With the right modifications, your van can transform into a cozy camper. This allows you to immerse yourself in nature without sacrificing comfort. Park in a beautiful location and have everything you need right at your fingertips. Don’t forget to equip your van with the best portable showers for a comfortable camping experience.
Camping under the stars with the van.
3. Take a Surfing Trip
If you’re a surfing enthusiast, your van is the perfect companion. It has ample space for all your surf gear, allowing you to drive to the best surf spots with ease. Plus, you can sleep in the van, letting you catch the first waves at dawn.
Ready to hit the waves after a good night’s sleep in the van.
4. Go Mountain Biking
Your van can easily transport mountain bikes, making it ideal for a mountain biking adventure. Drive to the best trails and have a comfortable place to rest and recover after a day of biking.
Resting after a thrilling day of mountain biking.
5. Plan a Fishing Trip
For those who enjoy fishing, a van is a great asset. Store all your fishing gear in the van, and even plan multi-day fishing trips with the convenience of sleeping in the van.
Enjoying a peaceful fishing trip with the van.
Your van is more than just a vehicle; it’s a ticket to countless adventures. With the right accessories and modifications, you can enhance these experiences even further. Whether it’s adding a pop-top roof for extra sleeping space, installing a kitchen unit for cooking meals, or adding a bike rack for carrying bikes, the possibilities are endless.
Embrace the van life and start your adventure today!
After last year’s unforgettable van life uk festival (check out my review here), I couldn’t contain my excitement and anticipation for the next instalment. Promised to be the UK’s largest van life event, I wondered if scaling up would compromise the genuine festival atmosphere and allow sponsorships to dominate. Well, let me regale you with tales from Vanlife Fest Festival 2023, where the vans roamed free, the traffic jams were epic, and the laughs were aplenty.
In an effort to attract a more diverse (and younger crowd) the Camping and Caravan club teamed up with the Warner group UK to host the Campervan Campout. Can the old school Caravan and Camping crowd attract the van life community or was this just a cash in?
If you’re a van lifer, you know that festivals are a great way to meet other van-dwellers, explore new places, and have some fun. But with so many different festivals to choose from, it can be hard to know what to pack. Here are a few unique festival must-haves for van lifers:
2022 was the first year of this festival, funded by the European investing fund and billed itself
Gwên Gwen is an independent music + art festival held in the historic market town of Kidwelly, on the beautiful Welsh coast.
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The Gwen Gwen Festival is an annual event that takes place in Kidwelly, a small town located in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The festival celebrates the local Welsh culture and heritage, with a focus on music, art, and food.
Gwen Gwen Festival 2023 Tickets
The festival will be back for 2023 from Fri, 11 Aug 2023 18:00 – Sun, 13 Aug 2023 23:00 BST. Tickets can be purchased via eventbrite.
This is it, the van is ready to go and I’ve been wanting to go to a vanlife festival for a number of years. So when I saw the self-build campervan event in Stroud, at a brewery, I figured it was a perfect way to get help and advice with my own van, learn from others, and it’s at a brewery. Surely a perfect win-win scenario, little did I know how wrong I was going to be.
Stroud Brewery Parking Costs
Nice and simple here with 2 price tiers
Showing off my nice van Stays will be equivalent to £10 a night at £20 weekend ticket (you will receive 2x beer tokens for showing your van) or Looking at nice vans – Weekend Camping Stays will be equivalent to £10 a night at £20
After booking a follow up email was received asking for the dimensions for my van so that pitches can be allocated which makes sense. However after emailing I never got a reply back to say thank you for your email nor when I followed up just to make sure the first email was received . Not a biggie but some automated reply would have been nice, however this was some MAJOR foreshadowing on what was to come.
Parking At Stroud Brewery
To be fair there was plenty of parking but that’s only if you arrived late. Yes you read that right, if you turned up late you had the better option of parking!
Let me explain,tThe keen types amongst us who got there in the afternoon pulled up, met by 2 members of staff, checked my reg no and said, let’s just put you over there. So why bother to ask for details for the vans?
The parking was nothing short of horrendous and borderline dangerous.
To get into the car parking space relied one someone moving out so I could get in. One van who had parked as far back as he could to make space was entirely boxed in.
Should there have been any problems, none of us was getting out of there in any quick fashion. This was made worse by an extra long wheel base being in the car park space that really should have been for the med wheel base type vans. We quickly referred to our parking spot at the goal.
The good news is that we had a portaloo.
Car Park Rating 0/10
Overall
I really don’t have much in terms of positive things to say about this “event” and left feeling more like we all were renting a car parking spot on a first come first served basis, rather than this being some event.
The parking in our area was dangerous and if there had been a need to get out quickly, that wasn’t going to happen. Yes it’s something that I’ve harked on about time and time again, yes it was cheap but in the event someone needed to get out that wasnt going to happen
I’m a patient person but when you’re waiting 20 minutes for a pint thats a joke, apparently the upstairs bar was open, but with no signage or helpful staff to say how were we supposed to know.
The staff in general I found rude, the cup of tea incident still sticks in my craw again again I am a patient person, it’s not like I’d been drunk or rowdy but serving me a £7.50 bacon roll (which was nice btw) seemed to be beneath this one member of staff.
I had several heated debates to cut Stroud brewery some slack because it was their first event like this. However they have events at least 3 times a week, so no slack is to be given. This was more evident during the presentations where they had a mixing desk, plugged in and yet the brave souls were having to shout so the people at the end of the room could hear.
Taking away some very small positives. I met 2 great people @bearfootandgus and @heather_n_bella who we’ve agreed to meet up and do Stratford Upon Avon
Enjoying a scenic drive during a road trip.
Camping under the stars with the van.
Ready to hit the waves after a good night’s sleep in the van.
Resting after a thrilling day of mountain biking.
Enjoying a peaceful fishing trip with the van.
